How can I receive Professional Credits for this course?Mental Health Professionals can receive CEUs for an additional $30, paid after you complete the course. Educator graduate level credits are available as well. Just check the box on your registration form as you check out and we'll send you more information. For more information, see our article on professional credits.

How much time will I need to devote to the course each week?For most participants, our MEE course takes between 3 to 6 hours per week.

How long is the curriculum? How much time does each lesson take?

The Mindful Schools curriculum is composed of 16 core lessons. The curriculum is often delivered over five to eight weeks, two to three times per week for 15-20 minute lessons. Our curriculum also contains additional lessons and suggestions for on-going practice such that it may be used for the entire school year.

The Mindful Schools curriculum:

can be implemented by classroom teachers or by an outside trainer or provider.

can be given during the regular school day in a classroom setting, or integrated into after school programs, sports, and other work with youth.

can be delivered in 15-20 minute lessons.

includes shorter practices ranging from 30 seconds to five minutes, which can be interspersed throughout the day.

Participants of our Mindfulness Educator Essentials course receive a wide range of resources during and after the course to support the implementation of the curriculum.

When can I access the course material?You can login and access the course any time, according to your own schedule. We release new content each week. This means that you won't be able to access week two of your course unless you've completed week one AND one week has passed since the course began.

Is the course self-paced? Can I go through it on my own schedule?You're not required to be online at any specific time, and can work through the course at your own pace. That said, we highly recommend you keep up with the course from one week to the next to ensure you can interact with classmates while learning the new material.

What does this course cover? What will I learn?Mindful Educator Essentials is a “starter kit” for teaching mindfulness to children and adolescents. We introduce you to the basics of mindfulness in education, the research and neuroscience, as well as the Mindful Schools K-12 Curriculum. After completing this training, you are authorized to teach mindfulness to children and adolescents using the Mindful Schools Curriculum. The course covers:

Week One: Course Introduction and Overview of the Mindfulness Movement

Week Two: Curriculum Overview

Week Three: Mindfulness in Education and “Mindful Teaching”

Week Four: Building a Container & Working with Resistance

Week Five: Research, Neuroscience, and Institutional Presentations

Week Six: Moving Forward – Starting Simple

What does the coursework entail?Our courses include a combination of video lectures, reading, and weekly assignments. The assignments include the following components:

Reading: Weekly lessons and insights from your Guiding Teacher

Listening: One guided practice per week, ranging between 10 to 20 minutes

Lectures: One to three video lectures per week, 30-45 minutes in total

Writing: Roughly one to two short paragraphs per week

Practice:

20 minutes of daily seated mindfulness practice highly recommended.

Practice teaching our curriculum with another person (not required to practice with youth).

What are the prerequisites?

One of the driving forces of the Mindful Schools Community is the idea that when educators observe and work on their own skills and conditioning, they are more successful teaching students attentional skills and emotional balance. The exploration of (formal and informal) personal mindfulness practice is central for teaching and modeling mindfulness techniques to youth.

In this spirit, here are the minimum practice prerequisites for taking Mindful Educator Essentials:

Complete of a standard 6-8 week course in the fundamentals of secular mindfulness:

Explore and maintain a personal mindfulness practice, which may include:

Daily practice

Extended silent retreat

These recommendations are made so that participants have experience studying and practicing the core skills presented in our curriculum, including:

Mindfulness of body sensation, breath, and sound

Noting and labeling of thoughts, emotions, and sensations

Body scan

Cultivation of positive states (e.g., loving-kindness) through intention and phrases

Understanding of both focused awareness and open monitoring

Does this course have a webinar?Yes! MEE includes an optional live webinar with one of our Program Staff or the Guiding Teacher, mid-way through the course. If you can't attend the webinar, you'll be able to view a recording of it later. For information on how to access your course's webinar, see this support article.

Financial AssistanceMindfulness is such a valuable tool that we’re committed to making our courses accessible to everyone working in school communities. We offer financial assistance to those who need it. Learn more here.

After completing the MEE course, can I say I am certified by Mindful Schools?

Mindful Educator Essentials provides training in teaching the Mindful Schools curriculum, but is not a certification in teaching mindfulness.

You will receive a certificate of completion for each course you complete with Mindful Schools. When speaking to parents, teachers, or administrators you may use any of the following language to represent your training in mindfulness through our Mindful Educator Essentials course:

"I have completed the Mindful Schools Mindful Educator Essentials."

"I have been trained in the Mindful Schools Curriculum."

"I have been trained by Mindful Schools to teach mindfulness to students in K-12."

If you are interested to learn more about professional development certification for our courses, please see our support articles on professional credits.

Can I teach mindfulness to adults after completing the MEE course?MEE offers training to teach mindfulness to youth and children. The course is not designed to equip graduates with the skills to teach mindfulness to adults, which requires a distinct skill-set and entails additional training.

Can I train others to teach mindfulness after completing the MEE course?No. The Mindful Educator Essentials course is not a train-the-trainer program, so you are not authorized to train other adults in how to teach mindfulness to children and adolescents.

If you have colleagues, administrators or others in your school community who are interested in learning about mindfulness, we encourage you to refer them to our courses.